This pilot study of focal concerns and priorities among metropolitan black Bostonians has six major purposes: 1) to obtain basic data which may serve as the basis for policy decision affecting the mental health and general quality of life among urban blacks; 2) to identify the perceptions of blacks on what constitutes their most urgent needs in the mid-seventies; 3) to systematically determine the accessibility and utilization of services in predominately black communities capable of meeting identified needs of community residents; 4) to identify those factors which affect the realization of identified priorities and the transmissions of norms relative to disability and sick roles; 5) to examine the effects of goal attainment or goal-blockage on mental health; and 6) to examine the mental health needs of youth and resources used for finding solutions to mental health problems. A dichotomization of issues into macro- and micro-community level problems leads to an examination of six major hypotheses. Interviews are used for data collection. Data reduction techniques include Spearman's rho, Pearsonian r, and regression analysis. Although this proposal is viewed as a pilot, our findings may suggest a need for a more extensive study of the issues identified here. If so, we would use this model for a national population involving urban, suburban and rural samples.